Morning journal and courier., 1887-02-18
Vu I,inonia Hall.

Some of the featuree of the lecture by Prof. Wheeler on ''The Government of Lon don," delivered in the Ihi Beta Kappa course Wednesday evening, are as follows: He commenced the lecture by distinguishing London proper from what is meant univer- sally when people speak of London. London is the metropolis of the world. The city proper contains but $50 acres and but 53, ,OOO souls. The outside London is composed of "A, 490 acres and includes a population of four millions, which is gradually arproxi- mating toward four and half millions. London has no limits-it is indefinite. A larger number of people would add not a single difficulty 10 those existing. Yet with all the grand ideas of this great and grand city she is totally lacking a system of gov ernment, which seems so remarkable when we consider the immense growth of the city, its mighty size and it's immense reputation among all in the civilized world. Yet the glowing fact nevertheless stands glaringly forth to the eyes of mankind that London, the city of all cities, lacks all regular sys- tenn, order regulation. The existing gov ernment, or style of government, was estab- lished ia 1888, and all efforts since to break down this corporation have failed. There is no supreme power. The whole government is system of independent bodies; some whose power originated from the Grown, others from Parliament, while others though private are almost as influential and tyran- nical almost in their vestings. The city proper with it's small area is thirty times wealthier than any area of it's size.
 The three great governing bodies of the city are the corporation of the city, granted by the charters with great privileges more and more; the metropolitan board of works, established in 1855 with imperial authority over the sewerage and public works, and con- sisting of forty-fve men representing the ablest minds of the time, and the vestries and the district boards, thirty eight in num- Der, local but final, and acting indepen- dently.
 There are many other boards which are local, but which are independent, as the Lon don school board, gas boards, finance com mittee, police force, water board and many others
 The aldermen of the city are elected for life, the councilmen hold their office for a year. The Lord Mayor of London, the great himself, is chosen from the alder manic body. The two senior aldermen are placed as candidates before the board itself and the elder of the two is generally elected as Lord Mayor. In case he refuses he is fined $5,O0O, unless he can prove he has less than $150,000 in his name. The office is yearly one and he is not obliged to accept second term Gener- ally the office is held but for one year.
 He is furnished with house and the fa- nous Lord Mayors coach. The coach travels only few miles a year and is but used, but nevertheless such is the extravayance at- tached to it that it costs $100 a mile. His salary is $50 900, exclusive of the great fees attached to the office. He has the manage ment over all the hospitality and revelings to the foreign potentates and important visi- tors, and in every case the amount of money spent in lavish display runs riot. It is said that on the visit of the King of Belgium and Sultan of Turkey s15O,oO0 was spent at a banquet. On such occasions money is spent with immoderate extravagance. On the visit of the Shah of Persia his glove bill amounted to $500 and at 8 ban quet the bill for corkscrews alone ran up to $35. Such extravaganza is common to all the bodies and not peculiar to none. It is the easiest thing in the world for public man to rob city or to waste it's finances foolishly. Yet, notwithstanding all the chances for the like nothing has ever hap pened like the infamous exposures recently brought to light in the city of New York. The staff of the city officials is three times greater than it ought to be and four times more extravagant. The result is that there is grand fight for the spells oftentimes and patriotism succumbs to pecuniary feeling. Prof. Wheeler in the close of his lecture hoped that by the time that the London style of government was improved our city gov ernments would be perfected. At the close
 
 appreciation by continuous rounds of ap- plause.
 Two Councils Claiming the Same
 Name i'm Collision.
 A D. of L. member writes: q noticed in your issue of Feb. 16th that Olive branch council No 7, D. of L., of this city, held 8 ratification meeting in the Insurance build ing. desire to say that Olive branch coun- cil No. 2 meets in the COURIER building and did not hold g. ratification meeting on that evening, and furthermore, G. H. Burton is not National Grand councillor of the legal Daughters of Liberty and W. O. Staples is not National Grand secretary. There are three councils of the D. of L. in the city, all of which meet in the COURIER building The National Grand officers of the D. of L. are: Ex-N. G. O., Mrs. Sarah M. Burns of Water bury, Conn; N. G. o., Silas A. Lentz of Allingtown, Penn; N. G. v. C., J. J. Dean of Newark, N. J.; N. G. secretary, Mrs. Mary L. Davis of New Haven, Conn; N. G. treas urer, Mrs. Lizzie North of New Britain, Conn., Olive branch council No. 2 charter hangs on the wall in the new Pythian Hall, COURIER building and not in the Insurance building. The charter of that council cannot hang on II.